Skip to main content

Featured

Posted by

The Kamnara of Sakwa are making ground to build for future generations

Greetings from the Kamnara of Sakwa! The Kamnara people of Sakwa on 27th December 2024 gathered at Village Park, Ajigo (near Bondo). Hosted by Kwaka Joseph, they hearkened to the consultative forum call, arriving in good numbers and early enough for a successful day. The gathering was chaired by Mr. Nying’ro James Onyango, a former (retired) assistant commissioner of Police. The introductions were excellent. The genealogies were mentioned in reverence, lengthy ones applauded. And courtesy of Enos Oyaya’s book, “Kamnara my people”, anyone who would need help had the documentation. Oyaya had launched the Kamnara book on 30th December 2022 at his home in Kamnara Mwalo, an event that gathered Vakamnara from far and wide. “What can we do that the generations to come will benefit from?” This was the clarion Mr. Kwaka Joseph called on all to fashion their minds to. And issues were raised in the fields of Education, health, agriculture, enterprise, politics and more that the swift dholuo would...
Post a Comment
Read more
Posted by

Runihi, Rinyinya and Isindu

-: Long long time ago, _runihi_ , _rinyinya_ and _isindu_ lived together. They went to the market and bought a cow. On their way home, they met their fate. 

Rain started beating heavily. They had to tie the cow on a tree and take cover nearby. As it rained the cow managed to free itself. 

The three friends  came back in aftermath. Looked around and saw nothing. Only a rope. And they knew their cow was gone. 

In anger, they cursed. The _rinyinya_ said it will never gaze up from where the rain came from. May death meet it if it does. _Runihi_swore never to cross paths in which they lost their cow. May death meet it if it does. _Isindu_ swore never to rest on a tree that the cow was tied on. That is why the three consecutively keeps the head downwards, never crosses paths and flies from ground to ground. And both swore never to work in daylight but to go about their businesses at night. 

 *Isindu*
This little bird is a rich-protein delicacy caught by setting ground traps. The bird does not perch. Seduction is by raising caged (keyonzo/kifuvi) birds on a tall fiddle (murage) to chirp in calling the free moving ones.

Late at night, 12am, the birds are hosted up in their cages to start close calling the then night flying fellow birds. At 10am they are lowered and fed. At 4pm too and at this time they are taken indoors for rest and sleep. Till 12am. 

Several thick paths below the hoists, thickly grassed as the wild, where the free roaming birds come to land are strategically laid with traps. Sides barred, a way across is opened by a knot, a string from a cow tail, fastening when slightly pulled. Unless it takes long for the person to harvest, the string does not kill. 

At the village one little _isindu_ goes for Ksh 50/-  High season is prior to harvesting, when farms are with plenty of grains. 

-: @⁨Lung'afa⁩ in a weird telepathic way, you seem to have read my thoughts earlier today. It crossed my mind that I should come over you help me gather such folk tales and folkloric idioms from those wazees I've seen you talk to. I'm doing the same currently for Bukusu ones, and I wanted Maragoli to be next. Possible?

-: Yes We can

Comments

Post a Comment